


The Cool Air of Hogwarts

by plaidphoenix



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Character Death, Cthulhu Mythos, F/M, Insanity, Mindfuck, Possession, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-02
Updated: 2015-05-02
Packaged: 2018-03-25 00:47:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3790369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plaidphoenix/pseuds/plaidphoenix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hastur visits Hogwarts, Luna takes a trip, Ginny makes a new friend. Harry, as usual, is just plain catatonic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Cool Air of Hogwarts

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Prompt #41 Ancient Creatures sleeping beneath the ocean (or some godforsaken place)
> 
>  
> 
> Also Inspired by HP Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos.

_I am a creature of the deep._

_I swim in darkest night where terror and dread reside._

_I am summoned by death and blood._

_Carnage unspeakable summons me and I am bidden, like lightning in the storm, to arrive._

_Broken bodies, empty husks of flesh, these things compel no interest in me but the darkest heart will be my witness._

_Mortals call me macabre, for the true words of terror are beyond them._

_A most potent blight awaits those who invoke my name._

_A peril beyond description awaits those who enter my presence._

_It is Hastur who gives you this warning._

_Ignore him at your peril._

 

As Harry Potter made his way down to the Gryffindor common room, he couldn’t help but hear Ron and Hermione bickering with each other. Again.

“And I’m telling you it’s Luna,” Ron was saying, “you know she’s bloody mental and half the things she says are harebrained!”

“Of course they are, Ron,” Harry heard Hermione said with an audible sigh.

Ever since they had gotten their feelings out in the open, Ron and Hermione had been inseparable, they’d even sacked out together on one of the common room couches. Harry had hoped this would lead to an end to their bickering. It was obvious his hopes were wildly optimistic.

“Morning you lot, sleep well?” Harry asked as he bounded down the last of the stairs, feeling energetic in a way he hadn’t felt in what seemed like ages.

“Harry, you’re awake,” Hermione nearly shouted with a mix of surprised and excitement. “You’ve been asleep for nearly a whole day. Ron and I were starting to get worried.”

“Yeah mate,” Ron said, “another five minutes and Hermione was going to have to fight Ginny to see which of them would storm the bastions to wake you up.”

The mention of Ginny brought a smile to Harry’s lips. Now that Voldemort was dead, he and Ginny were free to date again and Harry couldn’t wait to rekindle his relationship with her.

“Where is she?” Harry asked, scanning the room with his eyes to see if she was there.

“Right here, lover,” a voice murmured in Harry’s ear as he felt Ginny’s arms wrap around his chest from behind.

Harry was just getting used to Ginny’s body leaning into his when the entrance to the common room opened and Neville exploded inside.

“Harmurmp!” was all Neville was able to get out of his mouth before he tripped over his feet and fell to the floor.

The foursome quickly ran over to their friend and helped him to his feet. It was only then that they noticed his robes were torn and he was covered in blood.

“Blimey, Nev,” Ron exclaimed, “don’t tell me you went exploring in the Chamber of Secrets!”

“Hermuph-lub-hub,” was all Neville was able to blurt out before frantically diving behind a nearby sofa.

“Neville, what’s wrong,” Harry asked as he made his way over to bring his friend out of hiding.

“Hasturinthegreathallkillingeverythinginsight!” Neville cried in terror. He tried to resume hiding under the sofa but Harry held firmly to his arm.

“What was that, Neville,” Harry asked, eyeing his friend warily.

“Hasturinthegreathallkillingeverythinginsight!” Neville repeated more frantically as he tried desperately to break free of Harry’s grasp.

“Neville, what’s wrong,” Hermione asked as she walked over and placed a calm hand on Neville’s cheek. “Try speaking English.”

Speaking slightly slower this time, Neville repeated himself, “Hastur is in the great hall killing everyone in sight.”

 

_Oh would you look at this place? I’m honestly surprised it’s still standing. And all these bodies? All this blood?It’ll certainly be a mess to clean up._

_Oh, it looks like this one got mauled by a werewolf. Well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to stop for a quick snack._

_Tasty._

_I wonder what her name was._

_Lavender?_

_Hello Lavender, nice to eat you._

_Riddle, you were always so precise in how you conducted your affairs but you certainly managed to bungle things up. You didn’t even manage to leave yourself a proper corpse. How is that even possible?_

_I suppose we will just have to try again, to find another path back into the world._

_We’ve been away far too long and your failure will keep us away even longer._

_Oh well, not the first time we’ve been disappointed and it probably won’t be the last._

_Hastur, you’re getting too old for this. I suppose that comes with being an Old One._

_Oy vey, here comes Lovegood._

 

“What are you talking about, Neville? Harry asked, his chest starting to tighten.

“Hastur, the Unspeakable One, one of the old gods,” Neville said, his breath heavy and labored, “he’s in the great hall, slaughtering everyone in sight!”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Neville,” Hermione said tartly. “Hastur is only a myth. Not even Dumbledore thought he was real.”

“Well it certainly wasn’t Hagrid that ate everyone sitting at the Hufflepuff table in one fell swoop or made Padma Patil claw her own eyes out,” Neville exclaimed frantically.

“Neville, mate, you’ve got to get a grip,” said Ron who was looking at his friend like he had sprouted a second head.

“I’d get a grip, Ron,” Neville growled, “if Padma hadn’t proceeded to cast the Cruciatus Curse on herself.”

“That’s impossible, Nev,” Harry spat. “I know for a fact you have to have an incredible amount of hate to cast that particular curse.”

“Oh yeah,” Neville spat back, “well from the way her body was convulsing on the ground and what was left of her eyes had rolled back into her head, Padma must really hate herself! But if you don’t believe me, go look for yourself!”

“Maybe we will, Neville,” Harry answered, trying to figure out what in the world could unhinge someone as steady as Neville.

“Fine, Harry, fine,” Neville said with a quiet dignity that almost shocked Harry given the hysterics Neville had been in only moments ago. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have something I have to attend to.”

And with that, Neville got to his feet, brushed the hair out of his eyes, straightened his robes and proceeded to cast the Killing Curse on himself.

 

_I’d forgotten how amusing these flesh puppets can be._

_I can’t believe Lovegood didn’t even blink when I showed her what was waiting for her in R’lyeth. May Cthulubless what’s soon to be left of her soul. I wonder if she’ll still be as enthusiastic as the flesh is ripped from her body over the eons to come. I hope so, I’d hate to miss that show._

_Ah, here comes Potter and his friends. Too bad they won’t be as entertaining as Lovegood but still, it should be interesting to see how he reacts. I doubt his girlfriend will appreciate what I did to her parents but these things can’t be helped._

_They were begging for death in the end and I am considerate that way. I suppose having them kill each other was a bit over the top, but after what they did to George, it seemed appropriate._

_And now the show begins._

 

Harry couldn’t even begin to take in the carnage let alone the shrieks of terror coming from Ron, Hermione and Ginny. Blood, broken bodies and things he couldn’t even begin to describe littered the Great Hall.

And amid the piles of flesh and bone that littered the room stood Luna Lovegood.

“Luna!” Harry nearly shouted as he started to explode into the room, his wand at the ready.

“Hastur,” replied Luna as she waved her arm and Harry felt the doors slam shut behind him.

“Luna, what’s going on,” Harry asked with a growing sense of alarm.

“This flesh puppet you see before you is not Luna Lovegood,” the thing that looked like Luna replied. “She is presently having her flesh torn from her soul in the city of R’lyeth. I, in my magnificence, am Hastur. I have taken this form so you may have some measure of comprehending my most august presence.”

“Your august what?” Harry stammered. “Who are you? What have you done with Luna?”

“I have told you these things,” answered Hastur. “What is it you do not understand with your insignificant mind? Is my presence too much for your comprehension? Does the proof of my existence and the carnage I have wrought shatter your sanity? Or do the gods of old overstep in their calculus of your ability? A pity.”

And before Harry could realized it, he was holding something pulpy and damp in his hands. Looking down, he saw Ginny’s lifeless head staring back at him.

“What’s wrong, Harry,” asked Ginny’s head. “Aren’t you a wizard? Don’t you understand magic?”

Harry was too shocked to speak and somehow managed not to vomit as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing. It didn’t make sense, it couldn’t make sense. He had to be dreaming. This had to be a nightmare.

“You aren’t dreaming, Harry, but this certainly is a nightmare” Ginny’s head said to Harry, “for you.”

“I don’t understand,” was all Harry was able to get out. It was all so overwhelming. Was it possible he was suffering the after-effect of some curse cast on him during the final battle? Had he suffered what the Muggles called a psychotic break from reality? 

“Where are your manners, Harry Potter,” Luna/Hastur asked. “Your girlfriend is dead, your sanity is draining away from you and you cannot even muster the moral integrity to introduce me to your ‘best friends’? A pity."

Harry heard Ron and Hermione gasp suddenly and without looking behind him, he knew that they were dead. Glancing at the floor, he saw what he assumed was their blood pooling at his feet.

“Why?” Harry asked. “Why are you doing this, whatever you are?”

“Why?” Luna/Hastur asked. “How pathetic, Snape was right, you are mediocre and without either talent or ability. I see that now. It is indeed a shame Voldemort fell, he at least had potential even if he was short sighted.

“Why did you let me die for nothing, Harry?” Ginny’s head asked. “Aren’t you going to avenge me?”

“He cannot avenge you, child,” Luna/Hastur said. “His champions are dead, his friends are corpses like yourself and his meager skills are insignificant to the task you propose. No, it would be better by far to kill him now and come again to R’lyeth. His soul and psyche are now broken beyond measure.”

“So he must forgo the sacrifice,” Ginny’s lifeless head intoned.

“Precisely,” Luna/Hastur replied. “He must forgo the sacrifice and endure damnation’s tribute.”

“What?” Harry asked, his sanity wavering between questionable and nonexistent. “What tribute? What is all this? What are you talking about?”

“Farewell, Harry Potter,” Luna/Hastur said as the body he thought belonged to his dear friend began to dissipate. “We shall not speak for a thousand years upon a thousand years and one. We shall see then if you measure up to the gift of death.”

“Shall I keep him company then?” Ginny’s head asked.

“Yes, yes,” the disembodied voice of Luna said. “Break whatever has not yet been broken and destroy whatever remains standing. Death is waiting for him but will not come. Have fun with him, child, he is yours.”

“I will,” the bloody head of Ginny Weasley replied.

His mind broken beyond repair, the shredded remains of his sanity fluttering away on the wind, Harry Potter sat on a throne of blood and bones in the middle of the Great Hall of Hogwarts, the head of his girlfriend forever floating in the air by his side.

 

_Some point later on._

“So, Harry,” Ginny’s head began, “would you like to play a game? No? How about sex? I can show you a really good time. Really? Not interested? You sure know how to show a girl a nice time, Harry. No wonder Voldemort wanted you dead.”

 

_Some point even later on._

“I should have listened to the Sorting Hat, Slytherin would have been a lot more fun. At least then I wouldn’t have felt bad about loosing my virginity to Draco Malfoy.”

 

_At another point even later on then the one before._

“I wonder if this is how Bellatrix Lestrange got her start. I mean, I know she was born crazy but something must have happened to drive her completely over the edge. I think I’ll go ask her, I’m sure she’s around here somewhere. Back in a bit, Harry.”

 

_Five minutes later…_

“Harry, look who I found, it’s…”

“Itsy, bitsy, Potter!”

“Isn’t it great, Harry? Now Bellatrix and I can keep you company together!”

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment here or at [Livejournal](http://hp-darkarts.livejournal.com/113613.html)


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